Pronunciation

How to pronounce “christmas

“christmas” is pronounced /ˈkɹɪsməs/ (KRISS-muhs) — 2 syllables, stressed on “christ”.
The sound

Say “christmas” in 2 beats

Say it like this

christmas

/ˈkɹɪsməs/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. christkɹɪstress
  2. massməs
IPA (American)
/ˈkɹɪsməs/
IPA (British)
/ˈkɹɪsməs/
Respelling
KRISS-muhs
Syllables
2 — CHRIST-mas
Stress
Stress the first syllable: CHRIST-mas. “christ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Watch out

Where “christmas” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    KRIST-mus

    the t is silent: KRISS-muhs

Meaning

What “christmas” means

  1. noun

    period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6

  2. noun

    a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland

Say it in a sentence

The shop closes for four days over Christmas.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

christmas”, answered

How do you pronounce “christmas”?

“christmas” is pronounced /ˈkɹɪsməs/ (KRISS-muhs) — 2 syllables, stressed on “christ”. Build it as CHRIST-mas, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “christmas” have?

2: christ · mas. The beat lands on the first, “christ”.

What does “christmas” mean?

As a noun: period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6 For example: “The shop closes for four days over Christmas.” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “christmas”?

Stress the first syllable: CHRIST-mas. “christ” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “christmas” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.